Page 21 of Bulletproof

“Oh, look,” the same bodyguard from the night before said, smiling as he greeted me. I noticed the diamond in his right front tooth. “It’s the guardian angel. How you doin’, Angel?”

“Hey.” I beamed at him, extending my hand. “How’re you, Paz?”

He squinted at me. “Did I tell you my name?”

“No, but I heard you say it on the phone.”

He nodded and smiled at me, taking my hand hard, yanking me forward so he could give me the guy clench.

After he mauled me, he let me go, and when I stood back, another man was there as well. He leaned forward, offering me his hand.

“I’m Adan.” He smiled at me as we shook hands. “Nice job takin’ care of our boy last night. We appreciate it.”

“No problem.” I nodded, shoving my hands down in my pockets.

“So, Cristo wants to see you, Angel, and talk to you a little bit, all right? So, you come along with us. We’re headed back downtown. We got a meeting on a yacht.”

“We could just reschedule.” I offered to be nice.

Paz shook his head. “No need to do that. Just follow us, all right?”

“I’ll ride with Jory,” Eddie offered.

“Eddie.”

We all turned to the voice and saw a man coming down the hall toward us. He moved forward until I had to tilt my head back to keep his gaze. I felt his breath feather over my face when he exhaled.

“You’re the guardian angel, right?”

I shook my head. “You’re making too big of a deal out of⁠—”

“I’m Cristo Liron,” he said, cutting me off.

“Pleasure to meet you.” I smiled up at him, shifting my weight to take a step back, offering him my hand. “I’m Jory Harcourt.”

His hand came up, and he wrapped his fingers gently around my throat, stilling my motion. It was fast—too fast—the way he just stepped into my personal space. “I’m supposed to do some business, and then the rest of the night is mine,” he murmured, studying my face, looking me over, sizing me up. “My plan was to meet friends, have some drinks, and then have dinner. Would you join me?”

“I’m actually a little partied out,” I explained, lifting my chin so his hand had to drop off of me. “But maybe⁠—”

“Please.” He stepped forward again, but didn’t try and touch me a second time. “I have to go to this meeting, but I really want to talk to you.”

I looked at him, and he turned and looked at his brother.

“Would you excuse us, Eddie?” he said quickly and then tipped his head at Adan and Paz.

It was just us in his entryway moments later, and I realized what a huge space it was.

“Listen,” he sighed, taking a step closer so I was back to looking up at him. “I was in my den, and I saw you drive up and get out of your car. I had no idea who you were, but once I got a look at you, I wanted to come down here and talk to whoever you were.”

I waited for what came next.

“So,” he said, clearing his throat, “my cards are on the table. Will you have dinner with me?”

I cleared my throat, taking another step back. “I have a husband, Mr. Liron, and he⁠—”

“Cristo,” he corrected me, moving closer again, his right hand going on the wall beside me, leaning on it, closer to me. “Now, tell me about your husband.”

I took another step back, but he moved with me, again allowing no distance. He wasn’t touching me, but he was crowding me.